Widows is missing file for startup. How do I repair?

My windows XP home quit working yesterday. It seems like its starting up fine, but after the initial Windows XP splash screen it comes up with an error message. Something about not being able to start services.exe, I think it was missing file name sevr.dll. Anyway how do I repair windows xp? I see that there is a repair option on the install CD, but I dont know how to use it. Also, I have installed XP on another hard drive on the same computer so I am able to use the computer and view all the data on the drive in question. I just want to fix the original one. When I chose repair it asked me which windows installation I wanted to repair. This was before I installed the second install of windows. It would only allow me one letter or number to designate which windows I wanted to repair. If I typed the number "1" it would ask me for a password, but none of the supervisor passwords worked. What am I supposed to do at the point where it asks me which windows installation I want to repair? Thanx in advance.

Hi Sorry to hear of the problems with your computer. As a first step it would be best to boot to safe mode (if you can) and select "last good configuration" 1 Shut down your computer 2 wait 30 seconds 3 Reboot and immediately the BIOS loads but before Windows starts to load, commence tapping the F8 key regularly once per second until a black Screen with a numbered menu appears.** 4 Select "Last known good configuration" 5 Let us know how you go ** if the black screen with the menu doesn't appear or you get a keyboard error then you need to delay the start of tapping the keyboard for one second and try again. (you may need a few attemps to get the timing right.) It would be wise to check that your back up of your Registry, all your important files and settings, drivers and other data, photos, music, spreadsheets, letters, documents, emails, address book and browser favourites is bang up to date and that if anything is missing from your back up, you rectify it now, before you do anything else. Have you taken a disc image using Ghost, Acronis, Paragon, Drive Image or similar, so if a reinstall is required it will be quick and painless to do? It is premature at this stage to consider using your disc image, but if you have one make sure you can easily find the image files, just in case! Regards paws

You beat me this time paws :). To add to what paws said, and to answer your question, the default Administrator password for XP Home is blank. Regards, Ax

I have tried to boot into safe mode, but I get the same error. I do not have an image file of my hard drive. What is the best program to do this with? I was able to get into the repair console, but I dont which command would have helped. I did a chkdsk and it found a few errors, but it didnt fix the problem. How do I reinstall services.exe? Or how do reinstall file scerv.dll? Thanx for all the help.

If you don't have a disk image now, it probably would be too late to create one. You could do the repair of Windows as you were attempting first. To do a repair installation, perform the following instructions:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/h…ips/doug92.mspx

Otherwise, could you tell us specifically which dll file is missing?

Thanx for the help guys. The link that Ax238 gave me was exactly what I needed. I was able to repair windows and so far everything is working great.

Hi, Glad to hear that by following the link given by Ax things are now looking good. Well done! When you are happy that your system is running absolutely as it should, with all unnecessary programmes uninstalled, virus, spy-ware and any other undesirable elements removed, all the usual temp files and clutter removed, with your hard drive effectively de-fragged and the whole thing runningly sweetly "lean and mean" as we say, then consider making a disc image so in the event of further serious trouble that cannot be resolved by the usual efforts you can "turn back the clock" and put your computer back to the same position it was in on the day you made the image. All your data, spreadsheets, settings, emails, address books, letters and most important your complete Windows installation can be put back to the state, exactly as when you made the image. Make sure you have a copy of important data created since the date of your image. There are a number of programmes you can use, some paid for, others free versions, you may find you have one or more already! Have a look for: Drive Image, Ghost, Paragon Acronis and similar brands Regards paws